BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

ISO  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


HIS  CONVERSION,  CALL  TO  THE 
MINISTRY,  AND  OTHER  SPIRITUAL 
EXPERIENCES  TOLD  BY  HIMSELF 


WITH  A FOREWORD 
BY 

W.  F.  OLDHAM,  D.D. 


BISHOP 

FRANK  W.WARNE 
OF  INDIA 


HIS  CONVERSION,  CALL  TO  THE 
MINISTRY,  AND  OTHER  SPIRITUAL 
EXPERIENCES  TOLD  BY  HIMSELF 


WITH  A FOREWORD 
BY 

W.  F.  OLDHAM,  D.D. 


BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

150  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/bishopfrankwwarnOOwarn 


FOREWORD 

Whenever  a doer  of  Christian  deeds  appears  we 
are  all  anxious  to  know  the  secret  of  his  power,  and 
the  inner  life  of  the  fountain  from  which  the  streams 
of  beneficent  doing  flow.  When  such  a figure  is 
seen  against  the  far  horizon  of  the  heathen  world 
our  interest  is  even  deeper. 

Frank  W.  Warne  is  one  of  the  conspicuous  figures 
of  our  day.  Stalwart  in  build,  tough  in  fibre,  cease- 
less in  activity,  rarely  effective  and  tireless  in  his 
ministry — since  the  retiring  of  the  sainted  Thoburn 
— Warne  has  been  the  senior  Bishop  and  the  out- 
standing figure  of  our  triumphant  India  Methodism. 

If  from  anywhere  in  our  foreign  missions  has 
come  uninterrupted  tidings  of  great  and  progressive 
victories,  it  has  been  from  India.  If  anywhere  tidal 
waves  of  salvation  have  swept  great  multitudes  into 
an  experience  of  full  salvation  in  Christ  it  is  here — 
in  India. 

And  at  the  front  of  all  these  jubilant  hosts,  crying 
“Jai,  Jai,  Isa  ke  jai — Victory,  victory,  victory  to 
Jesus” — has  been  this  strong  leader  of  men. 

To  have  this  man  go  into  the  deeps  of  his  own  life 
and  in  simplest  fashion  bare  to  us  the  secrets  of  his 
soul  is  to  furnish  us  with  a human  document  of 
compelling  interest. 

The  very  simplicity  of  the  story,  the  quiet  earnest- 
ness, the  deep  sincerity  of  it  add  to  its  charm. 

Two  things  are  very  clear  to  me  as  I read  it: 
First,  whatever  the  language  in  which  they  convey 
it — all  God’s  effective  servants  bear  witness  to  two 
epochal  experiences.  The  easiest  terms  in  which 


i 


these  can  be  described  are  (a)  the  time  of  conver- 
sion, and  (b)  of  entire  sanctification.  Many  of 
God’s  great  saints  are  either  unfamiliar  with  these 
terms  or  have  been  brought  up  to  dislike  and  avoid 
them,  or  to  prefer  others.  But  whatever  the  terms 
used— the  experiences  will  be  found.  You  will  find 
them  in  Bishop  Warne’s  story. 

And  second,  it  occurs  to  me  that  those  who  profess 
and  openly  teach  these  experiences  as  being  the 
marrow  of  the  religious  life  and  are  anxious  to 
continue  on  the  errand  Mr.  Wesley  set  us  to  do, 
namely : “to  spread  Scriptural  Holiness  in  all  lands” 
— cannot  find  a better  agency  to  do  their  work  than 
the  regularly  organized  missions  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  led  by  such  straight  teachers  of 
a full  Gospel  of  deliverance  as  Bashford  of  China 
and  Warne  of  India.  For  thus  we  insure  security 
of  administration  and  fidelity  to  the  doctrinal  stand- 
ards of  early  Methodism.  Read  this  pamphlet. 
Pray  for  the  gathering  masses  of  the  India  church. 
Help  them. 

W.  F.  Oldham. 

150  Fifth  Ave., 

New  York  City, 

December  14,  1915. 


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HOW  THIS  CAME  TO  BE  WRITTEN 


Being  in  America  during  1915,  in  the  vacation 
weeks  I spoke  at  several  camp  meetings.  In  one 
instance  after  giving  three  addresses  on  the  “Mass 
Movement  in  India/’  the  leader,  in  an  appreciative 
good-bye  address,  remarked,  “You  will  notice  that 
the  Bishop  has  told  us  about  missions,  but  has 
carefully  avoided  telling  us  anything  of  his  per- 
sonal Christian  experience.”  I had  assumed  that  it 
would  be  taken  for  granted  that  one  who  had  given 
his  life  to  the  mission  field  had  an  experience. 
However,  while  in  the  train,  on  my  way  to  another 
appointment  where  I would  be  an  entire  stranger, 
I selected  a few  epoch-making  personal  spiritual 
experiences  and  told  them  in  an  introductory  address 
at  the  next  camp  meeting,  and  they  proved  a bless- 
ing to  the  audience. 

I once  heard  the  story  of  a man  who  came  to 
Chicago  from  New  York,  and  introduced  him- 
self to  another  man,  who  had  a very  wonderful 
spiritual  experience,  saying,  “I  have  come  all  the 
way  from  New  York  to  get  your  experience.”  Quick 
as  thought  the  Chicago  man  replied,  “You  can’t 
have  it.  Get  one  all  your  own.”  The  spell  was 
broken  and  the  stranger  got  one  all  his  own.  Our 
loving  Father  has  as  great  a variety  of  experiences 
for  His  children  as  He  gave  them  variety  of  faces. 
Each  child  of  God  can  and  should  as  certainly  have 
an  experience  all  his  own  as  a face  all  his  own. 
But  while  each  must  find  his  own  experience,  one 
may  help  another  to  seek  it. 

For  this  reason,  and  particularly  anxious  to  lead 
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young  people  and  boys  and  girls  into  a definite  ex- 
perience all  their  own,  and  in  deference  to  the 
judgment  of  many  others  who  heard  me  tell  it,  I 
have  consented  to  let  the  story  of  my  experiences 
be  printed  a little  more  fully  but  in  about  the  form 
in  which  I told  it  at  the  camp  meetings. 

F.  W.  W. 

New  York, 

December  12,  1915. 


4 


BISHOP  FRANK  W.  WARNE,  D.D. 
OF  INDIA 


MY  ANCESTORS 

My  Cornish  grandparents,  who  lived  to  the  age 
of  over  ninety,  were  Methodists  and  workers  in 
their  younger  life  with  John  Wesley.  I visited 
their  Cornish  home  in  1896,  when  coming  from 
India  to  America  to  General  Conference,  and  heard 
inspiring  stories  concerning  the  prayer  life  of  my 
grandmother.  It  is  there  popularly  believed  even 
yet,  that  she  healed  the  sick  and  wrought  other 
miracles  through  prayer.  My  father  came  to  Canada 
when  a young  man;  he  had  inherited  his  mother’s 
power  in  prayer  and  was  a Methodist  local  preacher 
for  over  sixty  years.  He  died  at  the  age  of  over 
eighty. 

MY  YOUTH 

I was  reared  and  worked  on  one  of  the  hilliest, 
stumpiest,  and  stoniest  Canadian  farms  I have  ever 
seen.  How  vividly  there  come  to  my  mind  my 
boyhood  experiences  of  chopping  cordwood  to  pay 
my  high  school  expenses,  stumping,  logging,  and 
picking  stones  until  the  skin  was  worn  off  my 
fingers  and  the  stones  stained  with  my  blood.  I 
then  thought  that  mine  was  a very  hard  life,  but  I 
have  long  since  looked  back  to  those  boyhood  ex- 
periences as  God’s  way  of  providing  me  with  a 
physique  that  has  enabled  me  to  serve  three  years 

5 


as  a missionary  in  British  North  America,  where 
the  winters  were  intensely  cold,  and  where  I was 
once  for  twenty-four  hours  lost  in  a blizzard  at 
forty-five  degrees  below  zero.  In  sharpest  contrast 
I have  been  twenty-eight  years  in  India’s  tropical 
heat.  At  a farewell  occasion  while  on  a visit  in  that 
north  land,  just  before  leaving  for  India,  a good 
sister  remarked,  “There  will  be  no  other  man  in  all 
the  Church  who  will  be  so  well  able  as  you  to 
understand  the  hymn — 

From  Greenland’s  icy  mountains 
From  India’s  coral  strand. 

It  has,  therefore,  for  many  years  been  my  work- 
ing theory  that  God  had  a system  and  plan  in  build- 
ing my  life,  and  that  what  He  built  into  my  boyhood 
was  to  prepare  me  for  that  which  was  to  come  later 
in  life  and  this,  in  my  judgment,  is  God’s  general 
method  with  all  His  people. 

When  I was  a boy  of  about  ten  summers  a boy- 
hood friend  of  my  father’s  visited  him.  They  were 
taking  a walk  and  unnoticed  I followed  them.  Then 
I overheard  my  father’s  friend  praising  my  brothers 
and  sisters,  but  about  me  he  said:  “Frank  will 
never  amount  to  much.”  My  father  vigorously 
protested  and  sang  my  praises  until  I made  this  reso- 
lution: I must  not  disappoint  my  father.  I will  do 
something  great.  That  hour  I was  intellectually 
awakened.  Parents,  let  your  young  people  know 
that  you  believe  in  them! 

About  the  same  time  our  pastor  preached  a mis- 
sionary sermon  at  the  end  of  which  he  circulated  a 
subscription.  When  the  paper  came  to  our  pew 
I asked,  “May  I subscribe?”  Father  answered,  “If 
you  earn  and  pay  your  own  money,  you  may.”  I 
wrote  down  my  name  for  one  dollar.  I had  it 
earned  long  before  the  collectors  came  around  and 

6 


wished  either  that  I had  subscribed  more  or  that 
the  collectors  might  come  soon.  That  subscription 
was  the  beginning  which  ended  in  giving  myself. 
Parents,  give  your  children  a chance  to  link  them- 
selves definitely  with  Jesus  in  saving  a lost  world! 

MY  CONVERSION 

One  evening  at  the  setting  of  the  sun,  when  a 
boy  of  about  thirteen,  my  father  said  to  me,  “Water 
the  stock.”  Soon  some  boys  arrived  and,  being  a 
real  boy,  I forgot  my  work  and  played.  A little 
later  my  father  asked,  “Have  you  done  what  I 
told  you?”  “Yes,  father,”  I replied.  He  knew  I 
had  not,  and  I even  now  recall  how  he  said  not  a 
word,  but  walked  away  in  the  twilight,  so  burdened 
and  bowed  because  of  hearing  a falsehood  from 
his  own  boy  that  it  suddenly  gave  him  the  appear- 
ance of  an  old  man.  The  boys  left  and  I watered  the 
stock.  Then,  boylike,  I forgot,  went  to  bed  and 
slept.  During  the  next  forenoon  mother  called  me 
to  her  and  said,  “Do  you  know  your  father  neither 
went  to  bed  nor  slept  all  last  night?”  I replied, 
“No,  mother,  I did  not  know.  Why  didn’t  he 
sleep?”  Mother’s  answer  was: 

“Your  father  spent  all  last  night  praying  for  you  ” 

My  saintly  mother’s  words  and  tears  went  through 
my  heart  like  an  arrow  and  rang  like  a bell  in  my 
ears  and  I became  powerfully  convicted  of  sin.  Just 
following  that  a series  of  revival  meetings  were 
held  in  our  church  and  I became  a seeker  and  had 
no  rest  until  I found  it  in  penitence  and  a con- 
sciousness of  pardoned  sin.  The  revival  services 
continued  several  weeks  and  a small  boy  was  the 
only  convert  and  the  critics  said,  “He  will  back- 

7 


slide  in  a few  weeks.  The  revival  is  a failure.” 
That  “small  boy”  is  now  telling  the  story. 

How  could  I ever  reward  my  now  translated 
father  for  that  night  of  prevailing  prayer?  I never 
could,  but  God  rewarded  him  by  letting  him  live  to 
see  that  very  boy  become  a minister,  a missionary, 
and  a missionary  bishop.  Just  a few  months  after 
my  election  to  my  present  office,  God  said  to  my 
saintly  father,  “It  is  enough.  Come  up  higher.” 
Mother  had  entered  into  rest  about  two  years  before. 
How  can  I ever  be  sufficiently  grateful  for  such  a 
parentage  and  such  a home? 

It  is  my  hope  and  prayer  that  the  story  of  my 
father’s  night  of  prevailing  prayer  may  encourage 
other  parents  to  pray  as  he  did.  I do  not  believe 
that  parents  through  prayer  can  break  the  wills  of 
their  children  and  compel  them  to  surrender  to 
Jesus,  but  I do  believe  that  my  father  prayed  until 
God  sent  such  conviction  through  the  Holy  Spirit 
that  sin  became  such  an  unbearable  burden  that 
I gladly  yielded  my  will  to  the  will  of  my  God, 
prayed  until  my  sins  were  pardoned,  the  burden 
removed,  and  I was  genuinely  converted.  I firmly 
believe  the  same  Heavenly  Father  will  hear  the  cry 
of  other  parents,  and  for  their  encouragement  I 
leave  this  testimony  concerning  God’s  answer  to 
my  father’s  fervent  prayers. 

I joined  the  church  after  my  conversion.  I re- 
joiced many  days  in  the  delight  of  that  precious 
experience.  I had  for  months  a real  and  precious  joy 
in  the  consciousness  of  pardoned  sin,  but  after  a time 
I found  that  I did  not  have  a continuous,  abiding 
peace  and  rest.  I tried  as  a boy  very  hard  indeed 
to  be  good,  and  as  I look  back  I believe  that  I lived 
a very  correct  outward  life.  I lived  among  a very 
godly  people,  who  set  a very  high  ideal  before  me, 
up  to  which  I felt  I could  not  live.  I daily  prayed: 

8 


Quick  as  the  apple  of  an  eye, 

Oh,  God,  my  conscience  make  1 
Awake  my  soul  when  sin  is  nigh 
And  keep  it  still  awake. 

But  I suffered  many  an  inward  defeat. 

MY  SPIRITUAL  STRUGGLES 

I cannot  now  recall  that  I ever  heard  a sermon 
on  heart  purity,  on  victory  over  the  power  of  sin. 
No  person  in  the  church  which  our  family  attended 
professed  holiness,  nor  do  I remember  that  the 
experience  was  talked  about.  The  people  did  speak 
of  “having  religion”  and  “more  religion.”  There 
were  people  in  the  congregation  concerning  whom 
I still  believe  that  they  lived  holy  lives,  and  the 
testimony  of  their  lives  convicted  me,  for  I knew 
they  had  an  abiding  joy  and  peace  in  their  “religion,” 
which  I had  not.  I,  therefore,  became  very  dis- 
satisfied with  my  inner  life,  and  was  struggling 
all  the  time  for  an  experience  such  as  I knew  others 
enjoyed. 

A man  attended  our  class  meeting,  and  his  weekly 
testimony  was:  “I  have  just  enough  religion  to 
make  me  miserable.”  That  is,  he  had  too  much 
religion  to  get  his  pleasure  out  of  the  world,  and 
not  enough  to  get  it  out  of  his  religion.  I always 
felt  that  that  man  told  the  experience  I then  had. 

Three  years  went  by  with  that  exceedingly  un- 
satisfactory religious  experience.  Then  our  pastor 
announced  a revival  service  in  the  church.  Before 
the  special  services  began  I declared,  as  a boy,  in 
the  class  meetings  that  “during  the  coming  revival 
I will  either  get  ‘more  religion’  or  I will  leave  the 
church  and  go  back  into  the  world.”  This  was  a 
tremendously  serious  matter  to  me,  for  I felt  that  to 
go  back  was  to  be  lost,  and  yet  to  advance  in  spiritual 
life  seemed  to  me  almost  hopeless. 


9 


The  meetings  began  and  continued  five  weeks. 
Early  in  the  revival  services  I made  the  same  an- 
nouncement before  the  whole  congregation  that  I 
had  made  in  the  class  meeting,  and  went  forward 
for  prayers,  though  as  a church  member  that  was 
harder  for  me  to  do  than  it  would  have  been  if  I 
had  not  been  a church  member,  for  I thought  I was 
bringing  disgrace  upon  the  church.  Many  good 
people  prayed  for  me  privately  and  publicly.  The 
weeks  went  by  and  I went  forward  to  be  prayed  for 
night  after  night,  but  no  relief  came  to  my  poor, 
burdened  heart.  As  my  case  became  more  desperate 
I recalled  the  story  of  Jacob  praying  until  the 
morning,  and  at  the  rising  of  the  sun  the  angel 
appeared  and  blessed  him.  I decided  to  do  the 
same  and  during  the  five  weeks  of  revival  I spent 
five  nights  praying  under  a great  beech  tree  on  my 
father’s  farm.  At  early  dawn  I would  slip  into  my 
room  just  before  the  others  would  rise.  In  all 
these  nights  of  prayer  I found  no  relief.  On  a 
Friday  night  the  pastor  announced  that  the  revival 
services  would  close  with  the  coming  Sunday  morn- 
ing service,  and  I had  no  more  light  or  joy  than 
when  the  revival  began,  and  my  announcement  was 
out,  which  I fully  felt  I must  keep.  To  me  my 
condition  seemed  desperate  and  hopeless. 

MY  ENTRANCE  INTO  A NEW  LIFE 

On  Saturday  morning,  about  sunrise,  I was  on 
the  straw  stack  in  the  barn  yard,  with  a long  hay 
knife  cutting  across  the  stack  to  loosen  the  straw 
to  feed  the  cattle.  While  thus  working,  and  in  a 
despondent,  meditative  mood,  wondering  what  more 
I could  do,  there  seemed  suddenly  to  float  out 
before  me  in  the  air  in  illuminated  letters:  “John, 
three,  sixteen.”  I began  to  read : “God  so  loved  the 


io 


world.”  I caught  at  “the  world”  and  reasoned,  “I 
am  a part  of  the  world,  therefore  ‘God  so  loved  me’ 
that  ‘He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son/  ” All  was 
clear  that  far.  Then  I came  to  that  all  inclusive 
word  “whosoever.”  I stopped  at  “whosoever”  and 
recalled  the  story  I had  heard  of  Richard  Baxter, 
who  said,  “I  would  rather  have  the  word  ‘whoso- 
ever’ in  John,  three,  sixteen,  than  to  have  ‘Richard 
Baxter,’  for  then  I would  at  once  be  tempted  to 
believe  it  was  for  some  other  Richard  Baxter.” 
I reasoned,  “I  know  that  my  name  is  in  that  ‘who- 
soever.’ ” I then  read  on,  “believeth  on  Him.” 
“Do  I believe  on  Him?”  This  was  the  next  question 
to  be  settled.  I had  during  several  years  in  com- 
petition for  a Sunday  school  prize  recited  the  whole 
four  Gospels.  In  thought  I ran  over  what  the  New 
Testament  said  about  Jesus  and  cried  out,  “I  believe 
every  word  of  the  Gospels.  Lord,  I do  believe.” 
Then  I read  on,  “shall  not  perish.”  Quick  as  a 
flash  I saw  the  weak  place  in  my  faith.  I had  been 
believing  on  Jesus,  but  fearing  that  I would  perish. 
At  this  point  I sprang  to  my  feet  on  the  straw  stack 
and  read  it  over  again,  “shall  not  perish;  but  shall 
have  everlasting  life.”  Then  I saw  that  I had 
through  doubt  treated  the  promise  as  though  it  read : 
“Shall  perish;  and  shall  not  have  everlasting  life.” 
I cried  out,  “Lord,  I will  reverse  it  no  longer,  I 
will  believe  it  as  it  reads,”  which  is : 

“Shall  not  perish;  hut  shall  have  everlasting  life” 
Then  I seemed  to  have  another  inspiration.  I 
had  long  been  troubled  about  understanding  what 
it  meant  to  believe.  I had  worked  out  a theory  that 
if  I could  for  a moment  forget  everything  else  in 
the  world  and  see  Jesus  on  the  cross  that  would  be 
“exercising  saving  faith,”  and  when  praying  I would 
find  myself  trying  to  do  that.  I now  asked  myself 
this  question:  “How  do  you  believe  your  mother’s 


ii 


promises ?”  The  answer  was  at  once:  “I  believe 
because  I believe  in  my  mother,  the  promiser.”  The 
next  moment  I realized  that  believing  mother’s 
promises  was  not  a mental  effort  and  struggle  such 
as  I had  been  going  through  for  years,  but  a mental 
rest.  I just  believed  that  her  promise  was  true 
without  any  effort  whatever,  not  because  I felt  it, 
but  because  mother  made  it.  Then  I cried,  “Jesus 
made  this  promise  and  I believe  it.”  Then  I waited 
and  looked  again  into  my  heart  for  the  feeling ; but 
no  feeling  came.  I then  saw  clearly,  for  the  first 
time,  that  I was  trusting  partly  in  Jesus  and  partly 
to  my  feelings.  Presently  the  Spirit  showed  me 
that  feeling  never  saved  any  one,  that  only  Jesus 
saves.  I remember  that,  standing  on  the  straw 
stack,  I cried  out,  “Oh,  Jesus!  I put  my  all  on  thy 
promise  and  I will  leave  all  with  thee.”  But,  alas, 
again  I waited  for  the  feeling  as  a witness,  and  was 
sure  it  would  come,  but  it  did  not  come.  I was  still 
trusting  partly  in  Christ  and  partly  to  feeling.  I 
at  last  turned  away  from  looking  for  feeling  and 
cried  aloud. 

“My  Jesus,  I stake  my  all  on  John,  three,  sixteen. 
If  I never  have  any  feeling  and  if  I am  lost  I will 
quote  this  promise  before  Thee  at  the  Judg- 
ment and  say:  I cast  my  little  all  upon  it  and 
trusted  it,  but  it  failed  me.  It  is  not  my  fault,  it 
is  Thine.” 

I had  at  last  come  through  years  of  struggling 
to  where  I trusted  wholly  in  “the  word  of  the 
Lord.”  Then  suddenly  I received  a definite  assur- 
ance that  I was  saved  and  a great  heart-warming 
peace  and  joy.  At  last  the  Spirit’s  witness  was 
mine.  I leaped  from  the  straw  back,  ran  to  my 
mother,  threw  my  arms  around  her  neck  and 
shouted,  “Mother,  I am  saved!  I am  fully  saved! 
I am  fully  saved ! ! !” 


12 


I had  not  up  to  that  time  had  any  teaching  con- 
cerning an  experience  of  sanctification  or  holiness, 
and  had  heard  no  testimonies  concerning  such  an 
experience  except  the  testimony  of  the  life  of  Chris- 
tians who  were  living  it  and  professing  it  under 
other  names.  There  was  in  the  congregation,  where 
I worshiped,  a sweet-faced,  white-haired  saint, 
whom  we  called  “Mother  Robinson.”  She  had 
prayed  a drunken  husband  into  the  Kingdom  and 
my  memory,  even  to  this  day,  recalls  her  very  high 
type  of  Christian  experience,  and  I want  to  bear 
my  strongest  possible  testimony  to  the  power  there 
is  in  the  testimony  of  a pure,  sweet  and  kind  life. 
Now  after  years  of  study  and  hearing  the  testimony 
of  many,  it  is  clear  to  me  that  during  these  years  as 
a boy  I had  prayed  myself  through  to  the  “Abiding 
Life”  and  what  I now  believe  to  be  the  experience 
of  “Scriptural  holiness,”  which,  as  I understand  it, 
is  such  a freedom  from  sin,  self-will,  and  selfishness 
and  such  a passionate  love  for  Jesus  that  it  makes 
the  heart  long,  above  all  things,  for  His  approval, 
companionship,  guidance,  and  blessing  and  that 
gratefully  and  joyfully  gives  Jesus  “in  all  things  the 
preeminence.” 

THE  NATURE  OF  “THE  ABIDING  LIFE” 

To  me  the  higher  and  highest  possible  Christian 
experience  is  taught  by  Jesus  in  His  saying: 

“He  that  abideth  in  Me,  and  I in  him,  the  same 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit.” 

This  is  the  way  in  which  it  all  came  to  me,  and, 
on  the  basis  that  each  child  of  God  can  and  should 
have  an  experience  “all  his  own,”  I love  to  call  the 
highest  possible  experience  in  Christian  life  “The 
Abundant  Life”  or  “The  Abiding  Life.”  I love  this 
terminology  with  all  my  heart  because  it  describes 

13 


a life  of  holiness  in  the  language  that  Jesus  used, 
and  because  it  makes  it  all  so  clear.  What  fruit 
would  the  owner  of  a vineyard  expect  from  the 
branch  of  a vine  that  had  been  pulled  out  and  stuck 
in  again  and  did  not  “abide  in  the  vine?”  Just 
recall  the  promises  that  follow  in  the  teachings  of 
Jesus  concerning  this  abiding  experience. 

To  my  thinking  the  sweetest  promises  in  all  the 
Bible  concerning  answers  to  prayer,  glorifying  God 
and  God’s  love,  are  given  us  by  Jesus  in  connection 
with  His  saying,  “Abide  in  me,”  while  the  same 
utterance  gives  us  a clear-cut  statement  of  the  fruit- 
lessness and  uselessness  and  certain  destruction  of 
those  who  do  not  have  and  retain  this  abiding 
relation  to  Jesus  Christ.  Read  again  with  these 
great  truths  in  mind:  John  fifteen,  verses  five  to 
eight : 

Already  ye  are  clean  because  of  the  word  which  I have 
spoken  unto  you.  Abide  in  me,  and  I in  you.  As  the 
branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  except  it  abide  in  the 
vine,  so  neither  can  ye,  except  ye  abide  in  me.  I am  the 
vine,  ye  are  the  branches : He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I 
in  him,  the  same  beareth  much  fruit : for  apart  from 
me  ye  can  do  nothing.  If  a man  abide  not  in  me  he  is 
cast  forth  as  a branch,  and  is  withered;  and  they  gather 
them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they  are  burned. 
If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my  words  abide  in  you,  ask  what- 
soever ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you.  Herein  is 
my  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much  fruit;  and  so 
shall  ye  be  my  disciples. 

Then  in  verse  nine  comes  what  is  to  me  the  most 
wonderful  statement  concerning  God’s  love  for  His 
people  in  the  whole  Bible.  I can  never  forget 
keeping  a morning  watch  while  I was  yet  a young 
man,  reading  Christ’s  description  of  the  highest 
spiritual  life  as  above  quoted,  that  is  “abiding,” 
when  suddenly  verse  nine  stood  out  as  really  mine. 


14 


I read  it  again  and  again  and  again  and  ever  since 
I live  on  it,  and  rejoice  in  it. 

“Even  as  the  Father  hath  loved  me, 

I also  have  loved  you.” 

I reasoned;  God  is  infinite  in  love,  and  that  love 
is  lavished  on  His  Son.  I suddenly  that  morning 
came  to  realize  that  Jesus  had  taught  concerning 
those  who  abide,  that  as  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit,  who  are  one,  love  each  other,  they  unitedly 
love  “even  me.”  The  glory  of  this  new  revelation, 
of  the  infinite  depths  of  Divine  love  for  the  abiding 
believer,  as  it  came  to  me  in  that  morning  watch 
through  the  teaching  in  the  ninth  verse  overjoyed 
me,  and  it  has  held  my  heart  ever  since. 

I once  had  an  invalid  woman  in  my  congregation. 
She  always  brought  to  church  her  Bible,  which  had 
very  large  print.  The  church  had  provided  her  a 
special  seat  and  a resting  place  for  her  big  Bible, 
and  I noticed  that  whenever  I in  the  pulpit  would 
refer  to  a verse  she  would  turn  to  it.  I became 
greatly  interested  in  her  Bible  and  one  day  in  her 
home  I took  that  Bible  and  found  over  the  pronoun 
“you”  in  John  fifteen,  nine,  printed  very  neatly  with 
red  ink  her  name,  which  was  “Ella  Baker,”  and, 
as  I read  in  her  Bible. 

“Even  as  the  Father  hath  loved  me, 

I also  have  loved  Ella  Baker.” 

I said:  “Ella,  your  amended  verse  is  as  true  as 
anything  in  the  blessed  Book.”  I anew  realized  and 
rejoiced  in  the  fact  that  if  I lived  the  “Abiding  Life” 
I could  put  my  name  over  the  pronoun  “you”  in 
John  fifteen,  nine,  as  truly  as  did  Ella  Baker,”  and 
that  the  amended  verse  would  be  as  true  as  any 
other  verse  between  the  lids  of  my  Bible.  The 
same  is  true  for  you. 


15 


HOW  TO  ABIDE? 


That  is  a vital  question.  Jesus  always  exemplified 
His  teaching  by  His  Life,  so  in  His  answer  to  this, 
a vital  question  to  every  earnest  heart,  Jesus  gives 
us  a clear  cut  simple  answer  in  words  whose  con- 
ditions only  require  that  we  should  do  “even  as  I 
have”  done.  Hear  His  answer  as  found  in  verse 
ten : 

If  ye  keep  my  commandments,  ye  shall  abide  in  my 
love,  even  as  I have  kept  my  Father’s  commandments  and 
abide  in  His  Love. 

Obedience  to  Christ  solves  all  the  mysteries  of  how 
to  abide. 


THE  JOY  OF  THE  LORD 

How  I wish  I could  bear  a word  of  testimony  that 
would  help  the  boys  and  girls  and  young  people  in 
our  homes  to  see  that  being  a Christian  is  not  to  be 
long-faced  or  sad-hearted.  Some  young  people  seem 
to  think  that  being  a Christian  is  to  obey  a series  of 

“Don’t”— “Don’t”— “Don’t”— 

“Don’t  do  this,”  and  “Don’t  do  that,”  until  they 
come  to  think  that  to  become  a real  Christian  is  to 
surrender  all  the  pleasures  there  are  in  life.  Such 
teaching  is  an  unforgivable  libel  on  Christianity. 

In  sharpest  contrast  with  all  such  false  concep- 
tions concerning  the  true  Christian  life,  hear  Jesus, 
in  verse  eleven,  of  this  chapter,  sum  up  the  whole 
matter : 

These  things  have  I spoken  unto  you  that  my  joy  may 
be  in  you  and  that  your  joy  may  be  made  full. 

“Fullness  of  joy,”  and  no  long,  sad,  unhappy  faces, 
is  what  Jesus  has  provided  for  all  who  abide  in 

16 


Him.  His  joy  is  a joy  greater,  a joy  that  will  last 
longer  and  go  deeper  into  your  soul  than  the  joy  of 

Abounding  health 
Ambitions  attained 
Abundant  wealth 

and  all  other  purely  earthly  joys  and  pleasures  com- 
bined, for  it  can  be  truthfully  said  of  all  these 

“They  shall  cease” 
but 

“Love  never  faileth.” 

Now  let  me  close  my  testimony  and  understand- 
ing of  the  “Abiding  Life”  by  bringing  before  you 
a better  cluster  of  grapes  than  the  spies  brought  out 
of  the  promised  land.  It  has  been  hung  up  for 
us  by  the  great  Apostle,  the  greatest  interpreter  of 
the  teachings  of  Jesus.  Look  at  it. 

Faithfulness,  love,  joy,  peace,  long  suffering,  kindness, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  self-control,  tem- 
perance. 

Can  you  not  hear  the  Apostle  Paul,  as  he  read  over 
this  dictation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  meditated  upon 
its  fulness  and  its  harmony  with  Christ’s  declaration 
“He  that  abideth  in  me  and  I in  him,  the  same 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit”  say:  “Yes,  against  such 
there  is  no  law.” 

I was  sixteen  when  I entered  into  that  new  ex- 
perience; now  I am  sixty.  I want  to  testify  to  the 
praise  of  His  Blessed  Name  that  the  consciousness 
of  my  “living  in  Him”  which  came  into  my  heart 
during  that  straw  stack  experience  has  remained 
with  me  through  all  the  intervening  years.  I now 
call  it  “My  abiding  life”  or  “My  abiding  bless- 
ing.” 

What  I learned  in  those  years  of  comparative 

17 


spiritual  darkness,  while  seeking  for  a more  restful 
experience,  has  given  me  much  sympathy  for,  and 
insight  into  the  difficulties  of  others  who  are  in 
doubt  and  has  enabled  me  to  help  so  many  seekers 
that  I now  look  back  to  those  years  as  a very  vital 
part  of  the  preparation  for  my  life  work. 

MY  MOTTO-TEXT 

Some  time  after  I had  entered  into  this  experience 
there  stayed  over  night  in  my  father’s  home  a good 
man,  and  in  the  morning,  conducting  family  prayers, 
he  read  the  Thirty-seventh  Psalm — that  matchless 
Psalm — and  when  he  came  to  the  fourth  verse, 
which  is: 

“Delight  thyself  also  in  Jehovah  and 
He  shall  give  thee  the  desires  of  thine  heart,” 

the  good  man  lifted  his  eyes  and  looked  down  at  me 
over  his  spectacles  and  said : “That  would  make  an 
ideal  life  motto  for  you.”  As  I thought  of  it  as  a 
motto,  I saw  that  it  contained  the  same  idea  of 
abiding  as  given  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  and  it 
made  such  an  impression  upon  me  that  I took  it 
and  for  twenty-five  years  it  had  more  influence  over 
my  life  than  any  one  of  the  verses  in  the  whole 
Bible.  At  first,  I thought  if  I would  just  delight  to 
do  the  will  of  Jehovah,  He  would  give  me  whatever 
I wanted,  but  I soon  came  to  see  it  could  not  mean 
that,  for  I might  desire  things  that  were  not  right, 
but  wrong,  and  I knew  Jehovah  could  not  be  a 
partner  in  anything  that  was  wrong.  But  as  I 
meditated  carefully  over  its  meaning,  all  became 
clear.  I found  it  meant  that  in  this  “abiding  life” 
I would  be  given  new  desires  and  that  my  new 
desires  would  be  only  for  things  that  were  right. 
To  abide  in  Christ  is  to  be  so  changed  inwardly  as 

18 


to  hate  the  evil  and  love  the  good.  That  is  what 
happened  in  my  case.  I soon  found  that  I had 

New  desires 

New  affections 

New  aspirations  and  ambitions 
and  I think  it  could  scarcely  be  possible  for  any  one 
to  have  continuously  a happier  life  than  mine  has 
been,  for  with  these  new  desires  flowing  into  my 
branch  life  from  the  vine  life,  I have  been  doing 
just  what  I have  wanted  to  do  all  my  life.  Now, 
when  one  can  do  just  what  he  wants  to  do  he  surely 
should  be  happy,  and  when  one  can  add  to  that  “the 
witness  of  a good  conscience”  and  be  conscious  of 
God’s  approval,  surely  that  is  ideal  happiness.  Here 
again  a “covenant  keeping  God”  according  to  His 
riches  on  a divine  scale  has  blessed  me  “exceeding 
abundantly  above”  all  my  highest  desires  or 
thoughts. 

MY  CALL  TO  THE  MINISTRY 

During  these  years  of  my  struggling  up  toward 
the  “abiding  life,”  my  eldest  sister,  one  of  God’s 
chosen  vessels,  was  slowly  but  surely  being  worn 
down  with  tuberculosis.  Her  patient  suffering 
through  a term  of  years  had  centered  our  thought 
as  a family  on  her,  but  the  dread  disease  continued 
its  work.  I never  can  forget  one  winter’s  night, 
after  a fall  of  beautiful  snow,  when  the  earth  and 
trees  were  white.  It  was  at  the  hour  of  the  setting 
of  the  sun,  when  I saw  mother  holding  in  hers  the 
hands  of  my  sister,  ‘which  were  so  thin  as  to  be 
almost  transparent,  rubbing  them  to  warm  them. 
I can  still  see  my  sister’s  angelic  face,  and  hear  her 
voice  as  she  looked  up  and  said,  “Mother,  my 
hands  will  never  be  warm  again  in  this  world.” 
Then  she  called  us  one  by  one  and  said  “goodbye.” 


*9 


I had  never  witnessed  a death.  The  glow  of  the 
setting  sun  was  on  my  sister’s  face,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  I could  hear  the  rustle  of  the  angels’  wings 
as  they  came  into  our  home  and  carried  my  sister's 
spirit  back  to  God.  It  was  glorious,  but  when  it 
was  over  a loneliness  indescribable  settled  down 
upon  me.  I wept  much  during  the  days  preceding 
the  funeral.  We  took  my  sister’s  body  from  our 
home  to  the  church,  amid  throngs  of  friends.  Her 
coffin  was  placed  in  the  front  of  the  pulpit  and,  as 
a member  of  the  family,  I sat  on  the  front  seat. 
I had  wept  until  I could  weep  no  more.  Our 
pastor,  greatly  beloved,  arose  and  announced  as 
his  text  the  comforting  words  of  Jesus  to  the  sor- 
rowing Martha: 

“I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life;  he  that  believeth 
on  me,  though  he  die,  yet  shall  he  live;  and  whosoever 
liveth  and  believeth  on  me  shall  never  die.” 

Our  pastor  opened  his  sermon,  saying,  while 
pointing  to  the  coffin,  “Our  sister  beloved  is  not  in 
this  coffin,  only  the  frail  house  in  which  she  taber- 
nacled is  there.  She  is  with  Jesus.”  I know  noth- 
ing more  of  what  he  said.  I saw  vision  after  vision 
of  my  sister  amidst  the  heavenly  hosts  and  behold- 
ing Jesus  “as  He  is.”  I was  lifted  into  higher  realms 
of  revelation  and  inspiration  than  I had  ever  known. 
Before  the  close  of  the  service  I had  reached  the 
conclusion  that  a religion  that  could  give  a boy 
such  a salvation  as  I had,  and  such  a triumphant 
dying  victory  as  had  been  given  my  sister,  and  that 
could  give  such  divine  consolation  to  a sorrowing 
family  at  a funeral  service,  was  worth  preaching. 
Before  that  funeral  sermon  had  closed,  I had  heard 
and  answered  the  call  to  the  ministry,  and  my  life 
was  unalterably  consecrated  to  preach  that  glorious 
gospel.  I had  then  no  thought  that  I would  be 


20 


honored  in  preaching  it  to  the  non-Christian  world, 
but  I had  dedicated  my  life  to  the  ministry  and  the 
outcome  was  with  Jesus. 

EARLY  PASTORAL  EXPERIENCES 
(a)  A Camp  Meeting  Experience 

I pass  over  my  school  and  college  days  and  my 
first  circuit  to  tell  of  my  second  circuit,  which  was 
north  of  Toronto,  among  well-to-do  farmers,  once 
devout  but  now  wealthy  and  worldly.  During  my 
first  sermon  in  one  of  the  churches  on  the  circuit,  I 
exhorted  the  people  to  have  a camp  meeting.  While 
riding  to  my  next  appointment  I wondered  why  I 
had  done  that : it  was  not  in  the  sermon  I had  pre- 
pared, and  I was  entirely  unacquainted  with  the 
conditions.  But  as  the  days  went  by  it  became  a 
settled  conviction  that  the  exhortation  came  from 
the  Master.  On  every  hand  I met  opposition,  but 
the  conviction  deepened,  and  I began  to  talk  and 
plan  and  work  for  a camp  meeting.  I found  an 
unconverted  farmer  who  gave  me  the  free  use  of  a 
beautiful  grove  in  exactly  the  right  place;  a mill 
owner  loaned  me  his  oxen  and  wagon  and  I went 
to  work  hauling  lumber.  When  the  people  saw 
my  persevering  doggedness,  enough  persons  rallied 
to  my  help  to  prepare  the  encampment.  The  first 
day  it  rained,  the  second  and  the  third  it  poured, 
and  my  faith  was  severely  tested.  But  on  Saturday 
morning,  the  fourth  day,  the  weather  was  glorious. 
A little  Irishman  preached,  and  took  for  his  text, 
“Launch  out  into  the  deep  and  let  down  your  net.** 
While  he  preached  the  downpouring  rain  of  the 
former  days  was  turned  to  spiritual  downpourings, 
and  the  enthusiasm  arose  all  day  Saturday  and 
Sunday.  While  the  preacher  was  preaching  Sunday 
night,  I witnessed  a scene  that  was  new.  I saw 


21 


people  getting  up  and  gathering  into  groups 
asking  each  other’s  forgiveness,  and  persons  who 
had  not  been  on  speaking  terms  embracing  each 
other.  Before  the  preacher  had  finished,  it  seemed 
as  if  no  one  was  listening.  Many  were  gathered  into 
family  groups  and  praying,  others  had  geen  getting 
into  their  carriages  to  start  home,  but  they  were 
under  such  conviction  that  they  feared  to  proceed 
and  returned  to  pray.  The  praying  increased  till 
about  midnight  when  fifteen  people  were  carried  to 
their  tents  overcome  by  spiritual  power  and  seem- 
ingly in  a trance.  Some  continued  in  that  condition 
until  the  next  day  and  when  they  came  out  of  the 
trance  their  faces  shone  with  a light  from  another 
world.  The  camp  continued  several  days  longer 
than  I had  planned.  I too  became  well  nigh  over- 
powered by  the  might  of  the  Spirit.  A revival  broke 
out  that  continued  in  marvelous  power  for  months 
in  the  various  churches  of  the  circuit  and  it  proved 
to  be  one  of  the  most  wonderful  experiences  of  my 
whole  life.  I tell  it  because  of  the  lesson  I learned 
which  has  entered  permanently  into  the  working 
principle  of  my  life  and  which  later  took  me  to 
India.  It  was  this — It  pays  to  live  up  to  your  very 
highest  inner  light  and  all  the  leadings  of  the  ever 
blessed  Spirit. 

I must  pass  over  a wonderful  three  years’  experi- 
ence as  a pioneer  missionary  in  Manitoba,  with  the 
remark  that  it  gave  me  great  opportunity  for  service 
and  enlargement  of  outlook.  I came  from  Manitoba 
to  Evanston,  and,  since  I am  telling  only  my  religious 
experience,  I wish  to  remark  concerning  my  theo- 
logical course  that  the  “St.  John  of  Methodism,” 
Dr.  William  Xavier  Ninde,  was  the  president  of  the 
Theological  School  and  I came  under  the  influence 
of  his  holy  life,  which  has  been  a lifelong 
inspiration. 


22 


( b ) Drawing  the  Net 

While  a student  in  Evanston  I was  a student 
pastor  in  Pullman.  One  night  at  the  close  of  the 
sermon  I noticed  a very  devout  Swedish  brother, 
an  officer  of  the  church,  kneeling  at  the  altar  weep- 
ing. I asked  him  the  cause  of  his  sorrow.  He 
looked  up  through  his  tears  and  administered  a 
rebuke  which  has  greatly  influenced  all  my  ministry. 
He  said: 

“Brother  Warne,  how  do  you  expect  to  catch 
fish  if  you  do  not  draw  the  net?” 

Then  I learned  that  there  was  a wayward  son  in 
the  home  and  that  all  the  Sunday  had  been  given 
up  by  the  father  and  mother  to  prayer  for  his  con- 
version at  that  evening  service.  The  son  was  present, 
the  sermon  was  to  the  point,  the  parents  were 
claiming  victory  by  faith,  when  to  their  very  great 
disappointment  and  dismay  I suddenly  closed  the 
service  without  giving  an  opportunity  for  decision. 
I afterward  sought  the  boy  privately  and  he  gave 
himself  to  Christ,  but  I learned  such  a lesson  that 
from  then  until  now  on  all  suitable  occasions  I 
have  “drawn  the  net.” 

(c)  “Obedience  is  Better  than”  Wealth 

Very  early  in  my  ministry  I came  into  close 
fellowship  with  a cultured  young  man  who  had 
inherited  a prosperous  business.  He  took  me  into 
his  confidence  and  confessed  that  he  had  been  defi- 
nitely called  to  the  ministry,  but  added:  “I  have 
refused  the  call  because  I am  unwilling  to  go 
through  life  in  poverty.  I have  determined  to  be 
rich.”  He  thought  he  recognized  business  ability 
in  me  and  urged  me  to  go  into  business  with  him. 
When  I refused,  he  remarked,  “You’re  a fool.” 

I moved  after  a couple  of  years  to  another  place, 


23 


and  I heard  years  went  by  of  a number  of  fires 
in  which  that  man’s  mills  had  been  burned  and  of 
other  reverses.  I went  to  India  and  the  man  and 
the  story  were  well-nigh  forgotten — and  more  than 
a quarter  of  a century  passed  away.  But  just  after 
I was  elected  to  my  present  office  in  the  Auditorium, 
Chicago,  I was  taken  by  a friend  into  the  basement 
of  one  of  Chicago’s  great  buildings  to  see  its  won- 
derful machinery.  As  I walked  around  I came 
upon  the  once  wealthy  friend  of  my  early  ministry 
working  with  a shovel  in  that  basement  on  very 
small  pay  as  a day  laborer.  I tell  this  sad  story  to 
say  that  both  experience  and  observation  have 
assured  me  that  God  cares  for  the  needs  of  all  who 
are  wholly  true  to  His  call  to  the  ministry,  but,  alas 
for  those  who  disobey  and  forget  that  “obedience  is 
better  than”  wealth! 

OUR  CALL  TO  INDIA 

I went  from  Pullman  to  be  pastor  at  Austin,  111., 
and  had  an  ideally  happy  pastorate  among  lovely 
people,  but  early  in  my  third  year  I was  strangely 
impressed  that  something  was  going  to  happen  that 
would  change  my  whole  life,  but  what  it  was  I did 
not  know.  At  the  Des  Plaines  Camp  Meeting  in 
July  I presented  myself  for  days  as  a seeker  after 
light  on  the  problem.  The  camp  meeting  closed 
without  any  new  light,  but  the  impression  was 
deepened.  I continued  my  pastoral  work  until  the 
Rock  River  Conference  session  in  the  autumn  of 
1887,  without  any  clearer  understanding  of  the  im- 
pression. One  forenoon,  during  the  Conference 
session,  I turned  my  face  toward  the  door  and  saw 
Dr.  Thoburn  entering  (he  was  not  then  a Bishop), 
and  I began  to  clap  my  hands  in  an  applause  of 
welcome.  Others  joined  me,  and  the  Conference 


24 


kept  it  up  until  the  presiding  Bishop  suspended 
business  and  Dr.  Thoburn  made  his  speech.  He 
began  in  his  own  inimitable  quiet  way,  told  of  the 
millions  in  India  who  had  never  heard  the  name  of 
Christ,  of  over  forty  millions  who  were  so  poor  that 
they  nightly  went  to  bed  without  sufficient  food  to 
satisfy  their  hunger,  with  only  enough  to  continue 
their  existence.  Then  he  contrasted  that  with  the 
Rock  River  Conference  conditions,  where  men  were 
crowding  and  competing  for  admission,  and  raised 
his  left  hand,  stretching  it  out  over  the  audience — 
I can  see  it  yet — and  said : 

“I  call  the  young  men  of  this  Conference  to  India 
in  the  name  of  the  Master/’ 

As  suddenly  as  a flash  of  lightning  my  long 
drawn  out  mystery  was  solved  and  I knew  the 
interpretation  of  the  abiding  impression — 

GOD  HAD  CALLED  ME  TO  INDIA 

I trembled  all  over  and  shook  the  seat.  I had 
thought  I was  ready  for  anything,  but  this  was 
more  than  I had  expected.  My  wife  was  not  at  the 
Conference,  and  I could  not  make  my  decision 
without  her  hearty  cooperation.  Dr.  Luke  Hitch- 
cock, that  white-haired  saint,  was  Presiding  Elder. 
I went  and  told  him  my  story,  and  he  said:  “Take 
your  appointment  and  say  nothing  here.  Then  if 
during  the  year  you  go  to  India,  I will  provide  for 
the  Austin  church.”  I took  his  advice,  and  my 
appointment. 

A friend  and  his  wife  came  home  with  me,  arriv- 
ing just  at  dinner  time.  When  we  were  seated  and 
grace  said,  I remarked:  “Well,  wife,  what  do  you 
think  happened  at  Conference?”  She  replied,  “I 
do  not  know;  what  was  it?”  I answered,  “I  have 
been  asked  to  go  to  India.”  Our  friends  threw  back 

25 


their  heads  and  laughed  at  the  very  idea  of  Frank 
Warne  going  to  India  and  there  for  the  time  being 
the  matter  dropped.  I resolved  to  say  no  more 
about  it  until  I could  have  a quiet  and  long  talk 
with  my  wife.  Our  friends  remained  three  days, 
the  lady  rooming  with  my  wife.  On  the  third  morn- 
ing they  left  before  breakfast,  and,  as  soon  as  grace 
was  said  at  breakfast,  my  wife  announced,  “Frank, 
it  is  all  settled.”  I inquired,  “What  is  settled?” 
She  replied,  “Going  to  India.”  I remarked,  “You 
surprise  me.  How  did  it  happen?”  She  answered, 
“The  very  moment  you  mentioned  it  I knew  we 
were  going  and  I had  to  get  ready.”  I,  in  astonish- 
ment, asked,  “How  did  you  do  it?”  She  replied, 
“I  began  by  giving  up  father  and  mother” — her 
mother  was  the  saintliest  of  the  saintly,  and  she 
never  saw  her  after  she  left  for  India — “I  gave  up 
one  by  one — my  country,  my  friends,  and  so  on, 
one  thing  after  another  until  I came  to  the  baby.” 
Here  she  broke  down;  the  only  baby  that  ever 
blessed  our  home  was  then  a few  months  old.  My 
wife  continued,  “I  have  had  three  sleepless  nights, 
but  toward  this  morning  I heard  as  it  were  the 
voice  of  Jesus  saying, 

‘Give  the  baby  to  Me  and  I will  give  her  back  to 
you / and  I answered,  ‘Lord  Jesus,  I surrender  the 
baby ; I am  ready/  ” 

I fear  I had  hoped  that  I could  hide  behind  my 
wife.  I had,  however,  decided  that  a matter  so  far 
reaching  should  not  be  finally  settled  hastily,  but 
should  be  prayed  and  thought  over  carefully  and  be 
genuinely  tested  before  action.  I took  to  reading 
all  the  books  I could  find  on  India.  Shortly  after- 
wards I received  a letter  from  Dr.  Thoburn,  telling 
me  he  wanted  me  for  a Bombay  church,  asking 
when  we  would  be  ready  to  sail.  I replied,  not 
refusing  to  go,  but  saying,  “If  you  find  some  one 

26 


else  to  take  that  church,  may  I take  that  as  a token 
that  God  does  not  want  me  to  go?”  I received  in 
reply  a letter  from  him  in  which  he  carefully  re- 
viewed my  case  and  wrote,  “You  seem  to  me  to  be 
like  Moses  before  the  burning  bush,  seeking  an 
excuse  and  finding  none.  Go  and  it  shall  be  well 
with  you.  Refuse,  and” — the  “and”  was  at  the  left 
of  a new  line,  and  he  filled  out  the  line  with  a long 
black,  heavy  stroke  all  the  way  across  the  paper, 
thus — 

“And 

That  meant  to  me  that  if  I refused  the  Divine 
call  my  life’s  outcome  could  be  only  a very  black 
line  and  nothing  more,  and  I saw  that  black  line 
for  days.  Well,  to  be  short,  we  went,  not  to  Bom- 
bay, but  to  Calcutta,  and  I tell  this  story  of  our  call 
to  India  to  bear  my  testimony  to  the  fact  that  we 
serve  a “Covenant-keeping  God.” 

Our  separation  from  the  home  friends  and  the 
placing  of  our  tiny  baby  into  His  hands  has  been 
greatly  rewarded  in  our  Indian  home.  The  child 
has  been  preserved  in  health  and  we  have  found 
many  friends  as  dear  as  those  we  left  behind.  My 
testimony  is  that  God  has  kept  his  promise  with 
me  as  faithfully  as  he  did  with  Abraham  and  for 
that  which  we  have  given  up  “for  my  name’s  sake” 
he  surely  has  given  to  us  “an  hundred  fold.” 

WHAT  CONSTITUTES  A MISSIONARY  CALL 

I have  ever  since  rejoiced  that  I tested  my  call 
until  I could  not  doubt  it.  Many  a time  in  India, 
when  the  burden  has  been  overwhelming,  have  I 
gone  into  my  room,  fallen  upon  my  knees  and  said, 
“Oh,  Lord,  I am  here  not  by  my  choosing,  but  by 
Thy  calling.  Help  me.”  And  here  again  I want 
to  testify  that  our  God  is  a “covenant-keeping  God.” 

27 


I understand  that  many  teach  that  a realization  of 
the  need  and  an  ability  to  go  constitute  a call  to 
be  a ioreign  missionary.  I would  add  from  my 
experience  and  long  observation,  that  in  my  judg- 
ment a genuine  call  to  foreign  missionary  work 
requires  in  addition  to  the  above  an  abiding  con- 
viction that  Almighty  God  has  chosen  and  called 
one  for  that  specific  service.  I could  not  urge  any 
one  to  go  to  the  foreign  field  who  does  not  have 
such  an  abiding  inward  conviction.  I believe  that  I 
would  have  given  up  under  the  strain  of  the  con- 
tinuous burden  in  India  had  I had  any  doubt  con- 
cerning God's  having  called  me  to  India — “even  me." 


LATTER  EXPERIENCES 
(a)  A Pacific  Ocean  Experience 

It  would  be  a long  story  to  tell  much  of  what  has 
happened  since  I have  been  a missionary.  It  would 
be  the  story  of  working  with  my  beloved  fellow 
missionaries  and  a great  body  of  wonderful  and 
self-sacrificing  Indian  ministers  and  people,  and 
seeing  more  than  300,000  souls  come  out  of  the 
non-Christian  world  and  become  Christians.  I will, 
however,  venture  to  tell  of  an  ocean  experience, 
after  my  election  to  my  present  office.  It  was  neces- 
sary that  I return  immediately  to  Manila,  and  in 
crossing  the  Pacific  I set  apart  one  Sabbath  day 
for  fasting  and  prayer,  preparatory  to  entering  upon 
my  new  responsibilities.  I had  remained  in  my 
cabin  most  of  the  day,  the  sea  was  rough  and  the 
wind  high.  Toward  evening  I came  on  deck  and 
watched  the  rolling  of  the  majestic  billows  on  the 
surface  of  the  mighty  deep.  I meditated  on  the 
marvelous  contents  of  a single  drop  of  water  as 
revealed  by  the  microscope  and  then  on  their  in- 

28 


comprehensible  numbers  in  that  great  ocean,  which 
it  took  twenty  days  to  cross,  until  the  thought  of 
the  power,  wisdom,  and  love  of  God  as  manifested 
in  the  ocean  under  me,  whose  mountainous  waves 
had  thundered  against  and  washed  the  shores  of  two 
great  hemispheres  for  unnumbered  centuries,  filled 
me  with  a spirit  of  reverential  worship. 

Then  followed  a vision  of  oceans  of  divine  grace, 
infinitely  broader  than  the  mighty  deep.  Since  that 
vision  whenever  I have  thought  of  the  great  con- 
tinent of  Asia,  a continent  containing  ten  hundred 
million  souls,  I have  by  faith  seen  her  surrounded 
by  all  sufficient  oceans  of  infinite  grace,  and  my 
faith  in  her  salvation  has  never  wavered,  and  in 
this  way  God  in  His  everlasting  goodness  gave  me, 
His  child,  a very  special  preparation  for  my  new 
and  overwhelmingly  difficult  task. 

(b)  A Lucknow  Experience 

When  the  news,  not  of  an  advance  but  of  a cut  in 
the  missionary  appropriations,  came  to  India  in  1911, 
at  a time  when  as  never  before  there  were  open 
doors  on  every  hand,  it  was  to  me  a time  of  very 
severe  testing.  Under  that  pressure  I went  one 
Sunday  morning  in  December  to  worship  in  our 
English-speaking  church  in  Lucknow.  Nothing  out 
of  the  ordinary  happened,  until  the  congregation 
began  to  sing  the  stanza — 

Pass  me  not,  O mighty  Spirit, 

Thou  canst  make  the  blind  to  see, 

Witnesser  of  Jesus’  merit, 

Speak  the  word  of  power  to  me, 

Even  me,  even  me. 

Suddenly  I had  a new  and  inward  illumination 
concerning  the  infinite  power  of  the  “Mighty  Spirit,” 
and  how  He  could  enable  “Even  me,”  the  blind,  to 


29 


see  through  all  the  financial  and  other  hard  prob- 
lems, and  “speak  the  word  of  power  to  me.”  The 
load  was  lifted  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
a wonderful  quietness,  consciousness  of  strength, 
and  sense  of  victory  filled  and  thrilled  my  soul. 
The  congregation  sang  on — 

Love  of  God,  so  pure  and  changeless, 

Blood  of  Christ,  so  rich,  so  free, 

Grace  of  God,  so  strong  and  boundless, 

Magnify  them  all  in  me, 

Even  me,  even  me. 

Then  in  addition  to  the  “Mighty  Spirit”  of  the 
first  stanza,  the  “Love  of  God,”  the  “Blood  of 
Christ,”  the  “Grace  of  God”  for  “even  me”  as 
mentioned  in  the  stanza  being  sung,  they  all  sud- 
denly seemed  to  combine  and  assume  for  me  a fuller 
and  richer  meaning  than  I had  ever  known,  and 
more  nearly,  than  at  any  other  time  in  my  life,  I 
could  enter  into  the  thought  of  being  caught  up  into 
the  third  heaven  with  a question  as  to  whether  I 
was  in  or  out  of  the  body.  Again  at  a time  of  over- 
whelming need  when  under  a crushing  burden  God 
gave  me,  “even  me,”  strength  through  an  extraor- 
dinary spiritual  illumination.  He  is  a “covenant- 
keeping  God.” 

(c)  An  Atlantic  Ocean  Experience 

On  the  Atlantic,  on  my  way  to  the  General  Con- 
ference of  1912,  I again  set  apart  a day  for  waiting 
on  God  for  a preparation  for  whatever  might  await 
me,  and  again  these  verses  in  all  their  uplifting 
power  would  come  back,  but  instead  of  the  “even 
me,  even  me”  of  the  chorus,  there  would  persistently 
come  into  my  mind  “even  the  whole  Methodist 
Church.”  Then  I lived  it  all  over  again,  and  was 
rejoiced  at  all  I saw  for  all  Methodism  as  an  in- 


30 


heritance  in  the  “Mighty  Spirit,”  the  “Love  of 
God,”  the  “Blood  of  Christ”  and  the  “Grace  of 
God.”  How  earnestly  I prayed  that  our  beloved 
Methodist  Church  and  all  the  churches  in  a new, 
and  fuller,  and  more  wonderful  manner  might  enter 
into  their  glorious  inheritance,  in  the  infinite  “Love,” 
“Grace  of  God,”  and  the  “Mighty  Spirit.”  May  our 
God  hasten  in  its  glorious  fulness  that  eventful  day ! 

ABSOLUTE  SURRENDER  TO  GOD 

After  a long  and  wearying  service  on  a very  hot 
day  in  an  Indian  District  Conference  I came  into  a 
missionary’s  bungalow  to  throw  myself  on  a couch 
to  rest.  As  I crossed  the  room  I saw  on  a table 
a book  of  sermons.  I picked  it  up  to  look  it  over 
before  I fell  asleep,  and  as  I glanced  at  the  texts 
I saw  the  preacher  had  taken  as  one,  “And  He 
went  a little  farther  alone  and  fell  on  His  face  and 
prayed.”  My  curiosity  was  aroused  to  see  what 
he  would  make  out  of  that  text,  and  so  I began  to 
read  his  description  of  Jesus  leaving  in  Jerusalem, 
the  world  that  had  rejected  Him,  then  the  eight, 
then  the  three,  His  nearest  and  dearest  friends. 
And  then  He  went  “a  little  farther  alone  and 
prayed.”  “And  His  sweat  became  as  it  were  great 
drops  of  blood  falling  down  upon  the  ground.”  But 
three  times  He  prayed,  “Not  my  will,  but  Thine.” 
“And  there  appeared  unto  Him  an  angel  from 
heaven,  strengthening  Him,”  and  He  arose  in  that 
strength  and  went  forth  to  the  Cross,  there  to 
redeem  a lost  world.  It  came  to  me  in  a new  sense 
as  I read  on,  that  no  follower  of  our  Christ  could 
ever  come  to  his  highest  and  best  until,  like  Jesus, 
he  would  leave  the  world,  his  ambition,  his  friends, 
his  nearest  and  dearest  friends,  and  go  “a  little 
farther  alone,”  and  there  receive  a conscious  per- 


3i 


sonal  revelation  of  the  Father’s  will  and  plan  for 
his  life  and  service,  and  be  strengthened,  and  in 
that  strength  go  forth  to  do  his  Father’s  special 
work  for  him,  with  a blessed,  soul  satisfying,  per- 
sonal experience  All  his  own.  Brother,  sister, 
Have  you  done  it? 

If  not, 

Will  you  do  it? 


32 


“Freely  Ye  Have  Received , Freely  Give” 

Bishop  Warne’s  experience  is  published  by  the 
Department  of  Foreign  Evangelism,  a Department 
of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  raising  money  for  missions,  but  to  sound 
the  true  note  of  evangelism.  We  believe  that  it  will 
encourage  parents  to  pray,  lead  young  people  to 
Christ,  and  give  them  Scriptural  instruction  con- 
cerning conversion,  consecration  and  sanctification 
and  show  them  how  to  commit  their  lives  intelli- 
gently for  service  into  the  hands  of  a “covenant- 
keeping God.” 

We  invite  you  to  share  in  the  circulation  of  this 
booklet  and  will  cooperate  with  you  by  sending  it, 
with  or  without  your  compliments  as  you  may 
indicate,  to  all  whose  names  and  addresses  you  send 
us  on  the  reverse  page.  You  might  wish  to  send  a 
contribution  for  its  circulation  and  permit  us  to 
supply  the  names.  Any  of  your  orders  will  be 
supplied  at  the  regular  price  of  ten  cents  a copy, 
sent  by  you  to  James  M.  Taylor,  Department  of 
Foreign  Evangelism,  150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 
City. 

MY  COVENANT 


I,  — — — — , hereby  freely 

and  fully  give  my  will,  my  heart,  and  my  life  to 
Jesus  Christ,  and  pledge  myself  to  follow  Him  as 
Saviour  and  Lord.  I will  definitely  seek  to  do  the 
will  of  God  and  will  especially  covenant,  so  far  as 
in  me  lies,  to  promote  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ 
throughout  the  world,  dedicating  thereto  my  time 
and  talents  so  far  as  God  may  require,  and  not  less 
than  a tenth  of  my  income.  I will  seek  to  develop 
the  intercessory  prayer  life  and  will  daily  remember 
Christ’s  missionaries  at  the  throne  of  grace. 


